Sample Itinerary D

DAY 1

Arrive into Dublin airport

Meet with your awaiting luxury touring coach before departing with your tour guide northwards to Armagh.

Lunch stop enroute in Killaloe.  The twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina are best known as the home and birth place of the High King Brian Boru (c1014).  Both towns are amongst the most picturesque in Ireland and are linked by an arch bridge and divided by the River Shannon waterway.  Relax for lunch in this peaceful historic town.

Travel to Clare – Visit the Cliffs of Moher Interpretive Centre

The Cliffs of Moher are one of Ireland’s top Visitor attractions. The Cliffs are 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly on a headland of the majestic Cliffs. From the Cliffs one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, as well as The Twelve Pins, the Maum Turk Mountains in Connemara and Loop Head to the South. The Cliffs of Moher take their name from a ruined promontory fort “Mothar” which was demolished during the Napoleonic wars to make room for a signal tower.

Dinner is served in your hotel

Welcome night in a local pub for a session singing and live music

Overnight in Clare Hotel x 2 nights

DAY 2

Full Irish breakfast is served in the hotel

Discover the unique magic of the Burren Region in ‘A Walk Through Time’ at the Burren Centre. Located in the historic village of Kilfenora the visitor centre encompasses an exhibition, audio visual film theatre, craft shop and tea room.  Ireland’s first Interpretative Centre rebuilt on the site of the old school and situated beside the ancient Kilfenora Cathedral.  We now invite you to explore the flora, fauna, geology, legends, archaeology and natural history of the Burren in the Burren Centre.

Kilfenora is a small agricultural village in the Burren, that unique rock-desert in the west of Ireland. It’s a quiet place with a reputation for small scale farming and Gaelic football and, in many ways, an unlikely setting for a musical saga.

To generations of Irish traditional music devotees, the village is known as the birthplace and home of Kilfenora Céilí Band. Enduring many peaks and troughs since its formation in 1909, the group has almost died many times but rose phoenix-like from the ashes. This resilient group of musicians have managed, many times against the odds, to keep a culture not just alive – but alive and kicking. 2009, in particular, proved to be frenetic, what with an entire festival in their honour in March.

Continue to Galway City for afternoon historic walking tour.

Enjoy some free time in Galway for shopping and personal sightseeing.

Dinner in a local restaurant, traditional style with plenty of Irish seafood on the menu.

Overnight in Clare.

DAY 3

Full Irish breakfast is served in your hotel

Morning departure along the scenic route passing Spanish Pointe to Kilrush and the waters edge where the Shannon River flows into the Atlantic.

The coach boards the car ferry to cross to county Kerry

Stop in JB Keanes Pub in Listowel for lunch. Meet with musicians for a talk on Irish Music.

Nestled in the northern half of the County of Kerry, along the beautiful coastal route, known the world over for lush green countryside and peaceful meandering rivers, is located the lively market town of Listowel, situated on the banks of the River Feale.

Continue to Killarney for dinner and overnight  x 3 nights

DAY 4

Morning departure from Killarney on the Ring of Kerry Tour.

This route takes you along the stunning Ring of Kerry Tour passing, Waterville, Cahirciveen and stopping in Sneem for lunch.

Soak up the amazing scenery and coastal landscapes surrounding this island jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Afternoon return to Killarney for rehearsal.

Evening concert in St Mary’s Church of Sloes, Killarney

Meet with local group for an exchange

DAY 5

Full Irish breakfast is served in hotel.

Morning visit to Garnish Island by taking a short boat trip across onto this tropical island. Located in the sheltered harbour of Glengarriff in Bantry Bay, Ilnacullin is a small island of 15 hectares (37 acres) known to horticulturists and lovers of trees and shrubs all around the world as an island garden of rare beauty.  The gardens of Ilnacullin owe their existence to the creative partnership, some eighty years ago, of Annan Bryce, then owner of the island and Harold Peto, architect and garden designer.

Continue on a sightseeing tour of the Bantry area including Gougane Barra which is an area of tremendous wild and beautiful scenery.

Early return to your hotel with time to relax and explore the town of Bantry

Return to Killarney for dinner and overnight

DAY 6

Full Irish breakfast is served in hotel

Morning departure from Killarney and travel to Dublin stopping in Blarney Castle enroute.

Blarney Castle was built nearly six hundred years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, and has been attracting attention beyond Munster ever since. Over the last few hundred years, millions have flocked to Blarney, making it a world landmark and one of Ireland’s greatest treasures. Now that might have something to do with the Blarney Stone, the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of our Tower. Kiss it and you’ll never again be lost for words. 

Followed by free-time at the Woollen Mills  

Continue from Blarney to Dublin

Lunch stop in historic town of Cashel

Visit Rock of Cashel.

Overnight in Dublin & dinner in hotel

DAY 7

Dublin, Ireland’s capital city is steeped in history and buzzing with youthful energy.  Medieval, Georgian and Modern styles of architecture provide a backdrop to a friendly bustling port built on the River Liffey.

Visit Epic Ireland. Epic Ireland is built in a historic stone and iron warehouse, this state of the art visitor experience tells the story of Irish peoples dispersal throughout the world over the ages.  Take a journey that starts on the island of Ireland and ends with a global presence of the Irish today throughout the world.  Designed with cutting edge technology EPIC Ireland consists of 21 galleries all asking the question “what does it mean to be Irish?”

Welcome to Ireland’s premier cultural institution and home to the greatest collections of Irish material heritage, culture and natural history in the world. The National Museum is located beside the Government buildings pictured above.

Dinner and entertainment with John Downey in Taylors Three Rock

Enjoy a traditional Irish night with live music, singing and Irish dancing

Overnight in Dublin.

DAY 8

Full irish breakfast is served in your hotel. This day is free to arrange a meeting with a local choir group.

The remaining time at leisure to explore Dublin City and some last minute time for shopping and or sightseeing.

Meet Gospel Choir in Dublin evening concert

Overnight in Dublin city centre hotel

DAY 9

Following breakfast coach transfer arranged to Dublin Airport for departure flight.